Requiem

Wow, some bad reviews on here. 1-star?? It doesn't deserve that, irresponsible rating that skews the overall review score.

I don't agree with them. It's not bad, decent cast, worth a few hours of your time.

That fringe though, kept annoying me! you will see what I mean.

All she had to do was take a DNA test and BAM! Just like that, she knows if Rose is her real mom or not.

I had high hopes for this mini-series, the eeriness and uncertainty from the first episode and the many unanswered questions opening for a story. Sadly, that strength gradually dribbled out. The characters were written to be shallow and unlikable and the acting from Lydia Wilson (who plays Matilda) was stiff which made for a difficult watch. The main storyline was what kept me interested, but I felt almost bored in some of the episodes from the way it was executed. Finally, when the plot was revealed I almost felt cheated, as if the writers couldn't think of anything better to solve the riddle. This was only heightened in the last episode and how it played out. Not one of BBC's best.

It's a decent enough drama with a moderately engaging, if drawn-out, story. The majority of the characters however are quite unlikeable with the main character, Tilly, being just excruciatingly unpleasant.

Requiem is a UK based supernatural mystery thriller. Its "by the numbers" stuff with more than a few well worn tropes on offer. The result is a series that works but it remains predictable fair that's on the cusp of being cliched.

What saves Requiem to a good degree is its a little "off beat". Putting aside the "Children of the Corn" all grown up look of the main character Matilda, there's some real depth and quirks to her character and the rest of the cast. This tends of successfully sideline the more obvious plot twists and turns, engaging the viewer with the characters on an emotional and personal level.

I will add that this is a "slow burn" thriller so it wont satisfy the impatient. That said, as it stands, Requiem has enough human interest elements including strong characterisations and narrative, plus well structured storytelling, to qualify as a decent, if not exceptional, short series. Eight out of ten from me.